08/03/2018
GlicksGiving was founded in 2003. GlicksGiving’s sole purpose has been to help those less fortunate with a focus on inner city children and children with deployed military parents. Scott Glickson, GlicksGiving’s founder, frequently says, “I’m not the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation so I’m not trying to solve world problems, however I can help a less fortunate child go to sleep with a smile for at least one night.” The GlicksGiving slogan is One Child, One Smile, One Day at a Time.
Scott has always had a philanthropic side to him. As a child and young adult, he couldn’t resist helping those living on the streets of Chicago. In addition to regularly buying Streetwise, filling pan handlers cups and handing out leftovers as he exited restaurants, Scott would periodically drive along the cardboard housing communities that lined Lower Wacker Drive handing out homemade “brown bag meals,” clothing and (in the winter) hand/feet warmers. These types of experiences, fueled by a burning inner desire to have a more meaningful impact on the lives of the people he was helping, led Scott to form GlicksGiving.
When Scott started GlicksGiving, he picked up the Yellow Pages (it was 2003) and started dialing inner city Chicago Public Schools. He was seeking deserving children who were missing opportunities because their families could not afford the cost. The initial reaction was “this is too good to be true” and Scott found it challenging to find someone to take him up on his offer to help. However, his persistence paid off, and eventually the Principal at Wendell E Green Elementary gave Scott his first official GlicksGiving opportunity.
GlicksGiving support comes in a variety of ways, shapes and forms. GlicksGiving prevents families from being evicted by covering unpaid rent, paying overdue utility bills to ensure children and their families maintain uninterrupted heat/electricity/water service and buying clothing including winter coats, gloves and hats. GlicksGiving funds families’ celebrations such as Thanksgiving dinners, birthdays and graduation events as well as support families in less joyous times such as funding funeral costs. GlicksGiving has relocated children and their families to get them into safer and more positive living conditions. Scott has pushed shopping carts through the aisles of the Aldi store at 115th Street and Halstead and Target at East 85th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue while families filled the carts. GlicksGiving has purchased computers and school books/supplies for students, covered tuition and paid for costs to transport students to/from classes. One of GlicksGiving’s longest standing programs covers 8th grade and high school students’ graduation fees (ceremony, luncheon, pictures, and gown) and end of year field trip costs.
Aside from necessities, GlicksGiving has created positive recreational experiences for inner city kids. Over the years, GlicksGiving has supported inner city basketball programs and, in particular, In the Paint Basketball (“ITP”) which focuses on teaching kids basketball as well as life skills. In October 2016, GlicksGiving hosted its first ever Urban-Suburban Hoop Dreams basketball event in which the In the Paint kids, coaches and family members spent a day with local suburban kids, coaches and family members from Play Hard Hoops (“PHH”). The day was arranged so that the initial games matched the ITP teams against the PHH team and then later in the day the teams were mixed. Following the basketball, all participants spend a few hours together picnicking at a private event at the Heller Nature Center in Highland Park. [OPEN – insert the picture of the t-shirt from the event]
Something Scott frequently tells those that he helps is “The more we see you help yourself, the more we will help you.” As an example of this, GlicksGiving has encouraged people to find employment by offering to match their first paycheck as well as provide goods/cash to encourage kids with achieving academic goals. Today, GlicksGiving has long standing relationships spanning many years with several children and their families.
Originally, GlicksGiving met their recipients through contacts at the Chicago Public Schools, Red Cross and military support groups. While those are still active referral channels, GlicksGiving’s contact information is now being passed around through word of mouth in Chicago’s homeless shelters, abused women’s centers, food pantries and even by church pastors. According to Scott, one of GlicksGiving greatest accomplishments is “We have never said no to anyone who has reached out to GlicksGiving for assistance. We always find a way to provide some level of help and support.”
Over the years GlicksGiving has raised over $100,000, mostly in small dollar donations from a wide array of family, friends, colleagues and others across Scott’s personal network. As Scott says, “No donation is too small and certainly none will ever be too large.” A key differentiator of GlicksGiving from other charities is that 100% of donations go directly to recipients as nominal overhead costs (such as regulatory filing fees, postage, etc.) are covered personally by Scott. The organization has no salary, rent or other operating costs.
GlicksGiving is fully accredited and recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code which allows for donations to be tax deductible by the donor. You can learn more about GlicksGiving by visiting their website at www.glicksgiving.org.
